Buddhists’ Faith

~ By Ajahn Jayasāro ~

In Buddhism, faith is not dependent on belief in dogmas. It is essentially a confidence in the truth of three propositions:

(i) There can be no freedom from suffering, and no true lasting happiness in the unenlightened state.

(ii) The Buddha’s enlightenment proves the human potential – and therefore our own potential – for enlightenment.

(iii) Our lives being governed not by chance or a divine plan, but by the law of kamma, we can realize our potential for enlightenment by wise action. This wise action consists of the training of body, speech and mind called the Noble Eightfold Path.

The measure of our faith as Buddhists is not then the intensity of our belief. It is the willingness to put these propositions to the test. If we see the unsatisfactoriness of the unenlightened state, if we genuinely believe in our potential for enlightenment, and if we believe that a path towards it has been revealed, how can we not apply ourselves to the training?

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"Food for the Heart", a series of Dhamma teachings handwritten weekly is posted on the Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives page with Ajahn's kind permission.

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For other teachings by Ven. Ajahn Jayasāro, please visit the Panyaprateep Foundation website.